The Phantom of Opera Palace
by skittlesgirl99
Summary: 17 years ago, there was a disaster at Opera Palace. Now, when all seems well, there is an evil lurking about, and David and Marionette must solve the mystery of the Phantom of Opera Palace in order to escape his grasp. The old story with a twist. MaxSchell/ALW/Leroux.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is my first Phantom fic, but I'm pretty familiar with the world of the Phantom, so I think I've got this down. Constructive criticism would be great, as well as reviews that tell me you want me to continue (always nice to have some motivation). If anyone would like to Beta for me, I would appreciate it.**

**This story is kind of a mix of the Leroux version, the ALW stage version, and the Max Schell version. Oh, but if you liked this story and decided 'I'm going to watch the Max Schell version so I understand it', I wouldn't. It has a lot of spoilers. Enjoy!**

_The Opera Palace was always rather strange. It had been on the top of a hill never_ _cast with_ _light _and surrounded by a foreboding, wrought-iron gate for nearly three hundred years. It was easy to get lost there. There were so many twisting hallways and creaking staircases it was almost impossible to keep track of where you were. Unless, of course, you were a part of the staff.

The staff was particularly odd. Something about their line of work changed them forever. Most were wide-eyed and expressionless. Very few could keep up a pleasant conversation with a diner. Many quit, terrified. And no one who worked there could explain all the out-of-the-ordinary things that went on. No one had a reasonable explanation for all the extraordinary occurrences that happened there.

Except, perhaps, the ghost.

/

"_And so I was walking down the street and she came up to me and she was like 'Are_ _you Jaffrey?'_ and I said 'Yes, I'm Jaffrey". And she was like 'Are you the Jaffrey that works at the shoe store?' and I said 'No, I'm Jaffrey from _The Jaffrey School of Dance_'."

The group of girls laughed. "I can't believe she thought you worked at the shoe store," piped the small, blonde one in a phony accent. A few others seated at the table began to giggle.

"Yes, only peasants work at the shoe store," agreed the original speaker.

"Right… it's not like _I _work at the shoe store," joked another with a nervous laugh following her statement. The whole table could no longer control their laughter.

A wide-eyed waitress approached them and dropped seven pamphlets on the table. She then proceeded to walk back to where she came from. The girls stared as she left. There was a long silence before one spoke. "Woah, hey, you have no explanation or anything? You're just going to leave us wondering what these are for?" She brandished the pamphlets, looking back to where the waitress had disappeared. "Are these some sort of decorative napkin?" she asked, studying them.

"They're ghost stories, Sherlock," explained another, snatching them out of her hand. She handed one out to each girl at the table, who all quickly began reading. "I feel like a card dealer," she stated before starting in on hers. Many of them snickered.

"I can't believe this blurry white flash counts as a picture of the ghost," said the girl next to her.

"I love how in this particular story they italicized _both witnessed_. As if that's going to make us believe anymore," she replied.

"Oh no! The ghost is possessing me!" cried a girl from across the table. She picked up a butter knife and slowly brought it towards the girl next to her. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!" The table burst into laughter as she set the knife back on her plate.

"Can anyone see the 'tortured face' in this photo?" The girls leaned over towards the middle where their friend was holding up her pamphlet and studied the picture of what was supposed to be a tortured face.

"Nope. It looks like a big blob to me," said one, but another studied it closer.

"I think this is the eye," she said, pointing to a dark spot. "And here's another, and the rest is the head, but I can't seem to find the nose."

The rest squinted their eyes to make out the same thing. One cocked her head slightly to the side. "That's one deformed face," she pointed out. The others nodded, agreeing. "Like a death's head…"

/

"_Don't worry, my dear, you'll be fabulous," they said as they pushed her on stage. The_ _two men_ returned to their seats, as they watched the young girl's knees knock under her satin evening gown.

"Gentlemen, I'm so glad you could make it," said a familiar voice behind. The two jumped and turned in their seats to see a younger man smiling broadly who was seated just behind them. They relaxed at the sight of him.

"Ah, Mr. Serio," said one. "David, it's nice to see you again."

"Mr. Raide," David acknowledged him. "And how are you, Mr. Deagia?" he asked, turning to the other.

"Quite w-well," stuttered the naturally nervous man.

"I see you've hired a new singer," David pointed out the girl on stage as the introduction to the sing began to play. The two nodded.

"Yes," said Raide. "Well, poor Katherine said she would never sing in the country again after what happened."

The girl on stage began to stumble over the notes, clearly anxious that something would happen. She shook her head and was close to walking off the stage, but Raide, Deagia, and David waved her back up. She continued to sing, gaining a bit of confidence as nothing was going wrong, and she soon let an angelic voice soar through the room.

"So is this who you've replaced her with?" asked David, still listening to the song intently.

"Y-yes," confirmed Deagia.

"This is Marionette Azayl, Mr. Serio," Raide elaborated. "We're rather lucky to have gotten her here. The girl has more anxieties than Mr. Deagia here." He chuckled.

The singer hit the highest note in her song as the accompaniment ended and the curtain fell over the stage, concealing the young girl. "Ah, nothing bad happened!" cried Deagia, encouraged by his luck and jumping up. "We must go congratulate Miss Azayl!" He ran off towards backstage.

Raide and David followed, but after a few steps Raide turned and signaled for David to stay. "We should like to speak with Miss Azayl alone, if you don't mind." This caused David to raise his eyebrow.

"Are you saying I can't meet her? She has lovely voice, Mr. Raide, and I _am _your patron," he argued.

Raide nodded almost nervously but stood his ground. "Yes, you may meet her later, perhaps once she is in her dressing room, but she is very shy, you see. After a performance she'll be wanting to talk to people she's familiar with. Don't worry, though. We won't keep her long." And with that he rushed backstage.

**Review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Azayl, you were lovely tonight!" cried Deagia, running up to congratulate his new Prima Donna. She blushed, pushing a strand of curly, brunette hair out of her face.

"Do you really think so?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Of course we think so," Raide reassured her as he came from behind. Marionette jumped a bit, but was otherwise happy to see him. "Is your throat sore?" he further questioned. She gave an embarrassed nod, so Raide quickly ran to get her some water. "Only the best for you, my dear," he explained as he rushed out of the room.

"We wouldn't want a voice as lovely as yours to die out, now would we?" Deagia added, watching the singer flush from his compliment. "You know, we haven't had a singer that has pleased him for seventeen years."

"Well, Mr. Deagia, you're flattering, and I hope this doesn't seem too accusing, but I believe I've asked who 'he' is before."

"Drink up!" cried Raide, interrupting the prior conversation and holding a cup of water to Marionette's lips. "Now, off to your new dressing room! That is, if you choose to stay with us, Miss Azayl."

"Well, if you'll have me, of course I'll stay."

"Very good, very good. Thank you, Miss Azayl. We could certainly use a voice like yours," said Deagia, directing her to the Prima Donna dressing room and flinging wide the door. The room was lavish, with subtle lighting, plush carpets, and a full-length mirror nailed into the wall.

"This is very nice. Thank you very much," she said, walking in and setting her cup of water down on the dresser.

"Well, we'll leave you here and check up on you in about fifteen minutes to lead you to your dorm. Is that alright with you?" asked Raide, desperately trying to grasp her approval.

"Of course. I'll see you then. But knock first. I'll be locking my door."

The two managers nodded and moved off, leaving Marionette to close her door and change from her satin evening gown and heels to her nightgown with slippers. She hadn't had time to take the pins holding her hair back out when there was a knock at the door.

"It's hardly been fifteen minutes," she stated, but opened the door anyway, expecting to see the two men who had showed her to her dressing room earlier. Instead, there was a man standing in the door with a bouquet of daffodils covering his face. Handing them to her, he invited himself into the room.

"You are Miss Azayl, correct?" At a nod from her, he bowed and placed a kiss on the hand that was not holding the flowers. "You were lovely tonight. Your voice was as lovely as the angels." She smiled, and set the flowers down, surveying the man before her.

"And you are David Serio, no?" she asked, losing all trace of shyness towards her visitor. He nodded, and she continued. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so many things about our patrons, I wouldn't know what to expect from you."

"Well, you can expect me to be a complete gentleman to a lady like yourself," he reassured her. "If only Luck was so ladylike…"

"_Luck be a lady tonight_," Marionette sang in a teasing tone.

"_Luck, if you've ever been a lady to begin with…_" David continued with one of the pair's favorite childhood tunes.

"_Luck be a lady tonight_!" they finished together before wrapping each other in a tight embrace.

"I've missed you so much, David," she admitted. He chuckled, quickly lifting her up and setting her down again before releasing his grip on her.

"I've missed you as well. You know, I was about to authorize a full-out search for you. Seven years is much too long to go without seeing you. Ah, I remember we were only ten, and you, being the irresponsible and carefree girl that you were at the time, you lost your favorite teddy bear on the pier by the sea, and the wind blew it into the ocean, so, to stop you from crying, I had to jump in and get it for you. Now what happened to that girl? Raide said that you have terrible anxieties."

"Well, after father… passed away…. things just haven't been the same. I don't know why, but I'm always so jumpy and anxious. I really don't know what's happened."

"Hmm… you seemed to not be shy when I walked in the room."

"That's because I knew it was you. Who else would overuse the word 'lovely'? And have you been here all this time?"

"I have indeed. You should have applied for a job sooner," he joked, loving every moment she smiled at him. "By the way, I don't mean to bring up your father again, but has he sent you the Angel of Music yet? From what I've heard, it sounds like you've had heavenly training." He tried to keep his tone light-hearted, but he could tell her father was a delicate subject.

She sighed. "No, I haven't been visited yet. He only comes when you least expect it, but I'll be honest with you—I don't expect him at all right now. Perhaps he'll never come."

"Don't think like that," David comforted her. "I'm sure the time is soon," he continued after giving her a brief kiss on the cheek. "Now, I've arranged a carriage to take us to dinner, assuming you haven't eaten." She lightened considerably at the notion.

"I haven't. Where are we going?"

"There's a quaint little restaurant down the hill and around the corner. I've already made reservations there." Marionette smiled and made to leave, but then looked down at herself, wearing nothing but night-clothes.

"Oh, I'm not decent. You'll have to wait for me to get dressed."

"That's alright. I believe I left my hat at the table. I'll be just two minutes, Lady Luck."

"I'll have plenty time then, and if you come across either Mr. Raide or Mr. Deagia, tell them they'll have to show me my dorm later on."

"Very well," he agreed, and he closed the door, leaving her to change. She picked the evening gown back up and took off her slippers when she could have sworn she heard a voice from nowhere in particular whisper:

"Helen…"

**Alright, that was Chapter 2! I'd like to give a big thanks to funnygirl00 and PhantomFan01 for reviewing. And for the rest, I would appreciate reviews if you read this story. They keep me going! Well, I'll see you all next chapter, where we'll finally get a glimpse of our Phantom!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Ah, Mr. Deagia, I almost forgot to tell you that Miss Azayl and I are going to dinner," David informed the manager as he picked up his hat from the table he had left it on. "You'll have to show her the dorm later on."

"O-of course," he stuttered in reply, having gained back his nerves from before. "What time w-will you two be back? I'll have to show her the dorm room we prepared for th-then."

"We'll be back in about two hours or so. I'll drop her off at her dressing room, so if she's not at her dressing room door by then, she's been kidnapped. Call the police," the younger man joked. "Now, I should be off. Marionette will be expecting me."

So he put on his hat and made for the direction of her dressing room.

/

"Helen…" the voice repeated. Marionette, looked around, but saw nothing, and figured someone was having a conversation outside her door. She sat down in a chair and placed her slippers off to the side before the voice made reappearance.

"You sang beautifully tonight, Helen." Now, hadn't she been the only performance that night? Surely the voice was speaking to her. Not wanting to make a fool of herself, she replied in a whisper.

"My name isn't Helen. It's Marionette."

"Ah, forgive me." So the voice _had _been talking to her. "Your voice and hers just sound rather alike. You sang beautifully tonight… Marionette."

"Thank you," she murmured, flushed from all the compliments she had been receiving on that night alone.

"Yes, the only difference I noticed in your voices was that hers was slightly more mature. Tell me, does your throat hurt?" So he had noticed the cup of water on her dresser.

"Slightly, but it's nothing," she said, surprising herself at how talkative she was with a complete stranger.

"I hardly call it nothing. You see, you must not be supporting your sound correctly, and that could ruin your vocal chords. Hasn't your voice teacher told you about that?"

"No, I'm self-taught."

"Well then, let me teach you to sing properly. I can make you more famous than your wildest dreams stretch."

"Why should I? Not to be rude, but I've only just met you."

"Do you not recognize this voice my child? It is I, your Angel of Music."

Marionette quickly shook her head, standing up and walking towards the door. "No, it can't be. Please don't lie to me." Her hand fumbled on the doorknob.

"But, Marionette, I am not lying to you. Your father has sent me from heaven to look after you. He told me to send all his love to his daughter, to his Lady Luck."

Marionette's hand fell from the doorknob. He knew about her childhood nickname? "It must be…" she muttered as a look of joy crossed her face.

"It is, and I will teach you to sing. But you must put all your faith in me and be rid of all love from this world."

"But… David…" she whispered to herself. Oh, was she really falling for her old childhood friend? Certainly she couldn't leave him. But it was either David or her Angel of Music, and she wasn't positive David felt the same way about her. And she could still have him as a friend.

"Very well."

"I knew such a girl as behaved as yourself would agree. Shall we have your first lesson now?"

"Oh, but I'm supposed to be having dinner with David now. He'll be here any moment. She looked to the door, listening closely for a knock.

"Is it a date?" her Angel asked, his voice turning cold. Marionette quickly shook her head. "Then there's no need to go. Surely you can make other plans."

"Well…" Marionette contemplated the idea. Her resistance faltered for just a split second, but that was all her Angel needed to convince her to come with him.

"_I am your Angel of Music; come to me- Angel of Music_," he sang in a low voice. Marionette froze, her feeling of resistance melting away. She turned to the mirror to see a man in a mask beckoning her. "_I am your Angel of Music; come to me- Angel of Music._"

She walked towards the hypnotizing voice until her hand had been placed in his and she was pulled through the mirror.

/

David knocked at his friend's dressing room door. There was no answer, thinking that perhaps she hadn't heard him, he knocked a bit louder. There was still no answer. He began to worry. After all, Marionette _was _a pretty, young thing, and, despite the fact that she was rather strong for her age, an older man could have easily overpowered her and abducted her from the room.

He knocked again, this time with more urgency. "Marionette?" he called, praying for an answer. "Marionette, please open the door!" He surprised himself with how desperate he sounded, but he continued knocking and calling his friend's name. "Marionette, if you don't respond, I'm going to open this door whether you're fully dressed or not!"

When there was still silence as his reply, he turned the knob, flinging the door wide open, to see the room just as it was before, with the exception of Marionette Azayl. She was missing. Not believing what he saw, David instantly made his way into the room. There was no sign of a struggle, but surely there must have been. She wouldn't have just left without telling him.

He searched the room for a sign of where she had gone, any sign at all, but all he saw was her slippers thrown on the floor and the daffodils he had given her placed carefully on the dresser, right next to her cup of water. "Marionette!" he cried loudly in his desperation. "Marionette!" he repeated, not caring if someone heard and thought him crazy.

_Perhaps, _he thought, _she has gone with Deagia and Raide somewhere. Yes, I'll have to check with them as to her whereabouts. _So he quickly ran from the dressing room, having checked everything besides the mirror.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, if you end up reading this chapter, review, because I always end up getting way more Visitors than Reviewers, and in my mind that's just not right.**

**By the way, if you're going to listen to "The Phantom of the Opera" by Andrew Lloyd Webber while reading this chapter, I would strongly suggest it. It just makes this part seem that much cooler.**

**So, without further ado, I give you Chapter 4!**

David banged on the managers' office door. "Raide! Deagia! Open the door!" he yelled. Raide quickly flung the door wide open and David made his entrance without proper invitation. "Where is she?" he asked.

Deagia looked up from his desk and gave the patron a nervous smile. "Where i-is who?" he answered. David shook his head, frustrated with how little the search was coming up with.

"Marionette! Miss Azayl! Where is she?"

"Well, she's not with us," replied Raide. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, I can't find her. She's not in her dressing room, I thought she was maybe with you," he said with certain urgency in his voice. The managers looked at one another, expressions of fear on their faces. "You have to help me find her," the younger man continued.

Deagia opened his mouth to speak, but Raide interrupted him. "Of course, of course. Deagia, how about you check outside, I'll look around the staging area and, Mr. Serio, would you mind checking the ballet dormitories?"

"I'll do that," David replied, relaxing a bit now that he knew he had help. So he ran out of the room, through the hall, and up the winding staircase to the ballet dormitories.

/

The descent to wherever the two were headed passed in a haze for Marionette. She could vaguely remember three or four corridors with candles lighting the way. Perhaps there were a few stairs going deeper into the abyss. She could realize she was traveling, but could have no way of knowing how she would be able to find her back in or out without help.

The only consolation she had during this time period was that she was in good hands. Her Angel kept a firm, but not fierce, grip on her wrist the entire time, leading her through the paths, making sure that she was never lost. It never bothered her that he wore a mask. Surely he had good reason.

She could feel herself being gently helped into a boat. As her Angel rowed them across the small lake to a dry land in the middle of it, she recognized more and more candles, wondering if they were nearing their destination. Soon enough, the boat hit the dry and land and Marionette was led over to an organ with all types of sheet music surrounding it.

The fog from her head cleared as her Angel seated himself at the organ and played a key she recognized as a Middle C. "Sing your scales," he commanded. "Start out with your DO being this note right here." Marionette nodded and obeyed, singing from a low DO to a high DO. Her Angel nodded.

"I think I see your problem. You're not breathing from your diaphragm and are therefore putting too much pressure on your throat and your vocal cords."

"How do I breathe from my diaphragm?"

Her Angel pondered over that for a minute. "It's easier to show you than to tell you," he explained after a moment. He then placed a hand on her stomach. "Now, breathe again, and when you do, I want you to push my hand."

She nodded again, slightly confused at how she should be able to do that, but she attempted to anyway and was surprised to see that his hand was pushed as well as her stomach. She could almost see the smile behind his mask. "Very good," he praised her. "But your stomach made an odd noise." She blushed. "Have you had dinner yet?"

She shook her head 'no'. "I was going to have dinner with David, but I came with you instead," she explained, trying to keep all accusation out of her voice. "But I'll be fine. I can wait until breakfast tomorrow." At this notion, her Angel chuckled.

"Don't be so humble, my dear. I can provide you with food for the night of you like."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose on you," she covered up. She didn't want her Angel to think she was rude or spoiled.

"There is no need to worry about that. I am not expecting anyone else here besides you. Stay as long as you wish. I can make something for you. It's no trouble for me."

"Well," she said, "I suppose, as long as it doesn't bother you."

"You are not a bother at all. Feel free to sit, but I ask for you not to wander." Marionette nodded as he walked off to what she assumed was the kitchen. She looked around for a place to sit, but saw only the organ bench, so she seated herself there. Pieces of music were placed mostly in a bin, but some were strewn across the top of the organ.

One piece was placed right in front of it. She couldn't help but notice that this was most likely the only piece she didn't recognize, so she decided to skim it, but she wouldn't touch it. The title read 'Don Juan Triumphant'. The notes were hard to make out, but it was a beautiful piece of work from what she could tell.

"I see you've found my music." Marionette jumped a bit at the voice, but turned around to see her Angel in the doorway leading to what she assumed was the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to invade your privacy," she apologized.

"That is quite alright. I did not specify that you should not look at my music. In the future, though, please refrain from reading any of my works unless I give you permission." She nodded, and he beckoned her, so she stood and followed him into the kitchen where he had set a plate and two chairs.

"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked as he directed her to the chair with food in front of it.

"I… already did. And keep in mind that Angels do not eat in the same patterns that humans do."

"I see…" Earlier, the mask had not bothered her, but now it seemed like an itch she couldn't scratch. "Will you not take your mask off at the table?" She tried to sound polite and not too forward.

"I'm afraid mortals are not permitted to see an Angel's face."

"Oh." The rest of her meal was spent in silence until she finished her last bite. "Thank you again for the food you provided me with."

"Do not give it a second thought." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm afraid it's getting rather late, though. I'll have to take you back now. Be sure to practice breathing from the diaphragm in the meantime, and try to keep your schedule free for your next lesson."

And with that, he took her hand and lifted her out of her seat so they could begin their ascent to her dressing room.

**Yay, her first voice lesson! Sorry if it got a little boring, I just felt it was necessary to add in. By the way, for anyone who's wondering, our Phantom **_**was **_**teaching Marionette a correct vocal technique. You can use his advice if you like. Consider it a voice lesson—free of charge!**

**By the way, funnygirl00, to answer your question, Helen is a secret.**

**A big thanks to my reviewers!**


	5. Chapter 5

David quickly made his way through the hall to the ballet dormitories. Knocking on every door, he asked every ballerina if they knew the whereabouts of Marionette Azayl, but none of them specifically knew where she was. Many of the dormitories were actually empty.

He knocked on the last door, and a girl in her late teens with dirty blonde hair opened the door. He could hear many other giggling ballerinas out of his line of sight, though. "Excuse me if I'm intruding, but do you happen to know where Marionette Azayl is at the moment?"

At the name of the singer, the rest of the girls crowded around the doorway. There was about seven of them altogether. "No," answered the one who opened the door. "But if we see her, we'll tell her you were looking for her. What's your name?"

"David Serio."

"Oh, are you the new patron?"

"Yes, thank you for your help."

"No problem." And with that, the girls walked away, relishing in the new gossip. Lots of them began to make up stories, but right before the door was closed, he heard one girl saying that 'he' might have gotten her. David put a hand in the doorway so the door stayed open when it slammed on his fingers. He ignored the pain in his hand.

"Wait, did one of you say that 'he' might have gotten her? Who's 'he'?"

The ballerinas all let him into the room and revealed a blushing young redhead. "Uh," she tried to cover her tracks. "We're not supposed to talk about him."

"But you just did. And I just so happen to help pay for this nice dorm. Surely you could tell me about the man you speak of. I won't tell anyone."

The blonde who had opened the door gave an exasperated sigh. "You got us into this mess, Terry. You're going to have to be the one who gets us out of it."

Terry nodded, embarrassed at her slip of the tongue still, but less so at the thought of storytelling. The story of 'him' was always her favorite one to explain, even though it was forbidden to talk about. Mrs. Neran, the ballet mistress, made sure of that. The other girls pulled up a seat for their patron.

He sat just before the story began. "Long ago—and by long ago, I mean, like, really long ago. Everyone who was alive then is, like, thirty by now. Anyway, long ago, there was an old, abandoned palace, and two men decided they wanted to renovate it and turn it into a restaurant where people could watch dinner shows while they dine.

"That was all well and good, but they didn't know it was haunted! Yes, there was a hideous ghost that roamed the palace, and he didn't want anyone using his palace, so he did all he could to stop them. He tried to set construction back as far as possible by destroying a day's work during the night, stealing tools, and he even killed a construction worker!" The rest of the girls gasped at the thought, but Terry continued.

"But they kept working anyway, and soon it was finished. On the opening night, the ghost was about to bring the whole palace down on them, but something happened. He found he actually _liked _what they had done to his palace. People were occupying it again, the music was good, the ballet was good, and the singer was good. So it all worked out for about five years, but then the singer was shot and killed and it all went down from there.

"The singer was the best friend of a lot of the ballerinas, and the grief was affecting them badly, so they were always really out of step, and the singer was the sister of the composer, so the tunes were melancholy and they brought everybody down. And the singer they replaced the dead singer with was just terrible, so everything was really bad and the ghost couldn't take it, so he crashed the chandelier." The ballet girls screeched and hid behind David's chair, but he was eager to hear more, and that's what he was granted.

"Until today," Terry finished, "he has never liked a singer. But now that Marionette is good, he's probably making sure nothing happens to her! So there's really no need to worry. Unless, of course, he actually hated her and he's planning some special torture for her. But I heard she was pretty good, so I think she's safe. That's all. Have a good night!"

And so David was abruptly pushed out of the baller dormitory, only to come face to face with Raide and Marionette. "Look who I found!" Raide told him happily. "Come. Come, now, both of you. I'll just show you Miss Azayl's dormitory and then I'll leave you two by yourselves."

And with that, he led them through the last part of the hall and up another set of winding stairs. He opened the first door on the right with a small key. "Here is your room, Miss Azayl. I'll just leave you and Mr. Serio now. Can I trust that the two of you won't do anything?"

Marionette laughed uneasily, her face flushed a bright red. "You needn't worry, Mr. Raide. Thank you for showing us my room." So the manager of Opera Palace nodded and left. David watched him go back down the stairs before closing the door.

"Marionette, where were you? I was worried sick!" he exclaimed. Marionette looked around before she sat on the bed and motioned for David to sit next to her.

"It's the Angel, David," she whispered in his ear once he was seated. "My father must have sent the Angel of Music to me." David opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him before he could say a word. "And don't tell me anything about how I can't be sure. I know you want what's best for me, but he _knew _about my father, and he _knew _about how my father used to call me Lady Luck. He didn't hurt me, and I'm so sorry I missed dinner, but we can reschedule it if that's alright with you."

The idea of an Angel made David rather wary, especially after the story he heard from Terry, but he decided he should let it go for the time being. "As long as you're safe, I'm fine with you Angel," he told her. And she looked at him gratefully, with such love in her eyes that he couldn't help but lean forward at an attempt to kiss her.

She leaned in as well, but quickly turned her head at the last minute, remembering what her Angel had forbidden her. David only managed to peck her cheek. Looking rather hurt and embarrassed, he left the room with a 'good night'.

"It has been a long day for you, my dear. You should get some rest," her Angel told her.

"That's quite alright," she covered. "I'm not exactly tired."

"I'll sing you a lullaby if you should sleep now." Marionette preened at the notion. She nodded quickly, and practically hopped under the covers, already being dressed in her nightgown. The voice chuckled a bit before singing her to sleep in a lulling, melodious voice. "_Luck let a gentleman see how nice a dame you can be…"_

**So Chapter 5 is finally up! Now, I don't know why, but this chapter gave me some trouble, so you'll have to excuse the late update.**

**Also, I have a preview for the next chapter: a graveyard at Perros scene. It follows Leroux more than ALW.**

**So, review if you want the Perros graveyard scene! And don't tell yourself, 'Oh, I have lots to do. I just won't review this chapter.' It took me 4 days to write this chapter. The least you could do is take 2 minutes to review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey y'all! It's been far too long since I last updated, and I apologize for that. You see, I would have updated a while ago, but I saw a preview for this really scary movie (I was watching Abe Lincoln: Vampire Slayer with my dad when I saw it, but I don't remember the name except that it started with an S. Can anyone help me out?) Anyway, it was about this spirit that would suck the soul of kids, and it lived in a pictures and videos. The image actually turned to look at the audience when a picture was in the computer, so I've been scared of the computer for a little while. So there you have it. I am terrified of the preview of a movie. Let's hope I never actually go see it.**

David and Marionette hopped into the taxi. "Thank you for the lovely dinner, David," she told him. "But this isn't the way to the Opera Palace. Where are we going?" He chuckled.

"Well, I thought we might pay some respect to your father. I haven't been to his grave for a while, and it only seems natural. We're reunited now, and we parted ways at his grave. This is a good 'getting to know you again' outing, don't you think?"

Marionette nodded, tears in her eyes. When David looked worried and was about to speak, she shook her head and turned away so the tears could fall freely. "It's not that I'm sad about him. I'm just very touched that you would go through all this trouble to take me to pay respects for my father. Of course, though, _I'll _pay for the cab rides. It's far too long of a ride for you to pay."

David chuckled before ruffling his friend's curls. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll pay for the entire day. It's my entire treat."

"Oh, but David, I just can't let you! You're a patron for the Opera House, and you've already paid for dinner. You'll spoil me far too much! Besides, I have extra money I can use. It will be just enough to pay for the trip."

"No, no it's already been decided. How about you use that money to buy yourself something nice? How about you get a new teddy bear to match the old one you had seven years ago." Marionette smiled, remembering those days.

"I never got rid of it. It's still in my suitcase."

"Then get yourself a dress or something," he said, trying to act indifferent, but secretly glad she had kept it.

The taxi came to a jerking stop half an hour later. Much to Marionette's protest, David paid in full and proceeded to take his friend's arm to her father's grave. It was a rather large headstone. The latest roses had turned cold and were beginning to wither. The two kneeled and paid their respects to the dead man.

When finished, Marionette lifted her head and turned it to face David. "You know, David," she told him, "I wasn't actually surprised when you told me we were going to Father's grave."

David smiled, happy she wasn't in a dark and serious mood like she used to be when the subject of her deceased father came up. "And why is that?"

She met his gaze, leaned close, as if about to share a secret, and whispered, "My Angel told me you would." Immediately, her friend's smile dropped from his face, and it turned to a look of pity and uneasiness.

"Mary… I've been meaning to talk to you about your 'Angel'. I'm worried, Mary. I think someone might be playing you for a fool." Clearly his words had not been taken correctly, for Marionette looked as if she had been slapped in the face.

"I'm not a child, David!" she burst out, flustered. "I always used to love how you looked after me, but it's been seven years! I can take care of myself."

She turned to leave, but David grabbed her wrist before she could walk more than a few steps. "I'm sorry, Mary, I'm just so worried about you. Forgive me for saying so," he whispered, slowing down his words now that Marionette had been calmed, "but you've always been slightly… naïve. I can't just stand here and watch you be taken advantage of."

"David…"

"How do you he's an Angel and not a man?"

Marionette looked around and lowered her voice to match her friend's. "He knew about Father and about how I was to be sent an Angel of Music. He brought it up first. I never asked him about it. And he called me Lady Luck. And his voice… Oh, David, his voice could only belong to Angel. If you could have heard him, there would be no doubts in your mind."

She shook her head, clearing her mind of the fog that always came when his voice could echo in her ears. Making to leave once again, she found herself being stopped once again when David would not let go of her wrist.

"Mary, do you love him?" he asked, his voice nearly breaking on the word 'love'. This time, it was her turn to pity her old friend.

"David, he is an Angel. I love him as that." He nodded, consented to that. She turned as he released her wrist.

"Just let me ask one more thing!" he called, running up to her. She turned to face him once again.

"And what is that?" she asked, her voice still a whisper.

"Did your Angel tell you that I love you with all my heart?"

"No, he didn't," she told him noticeably louder.

/

Marionette lay in the bed of her hotel room. David was just across the hall, but that didn't stop her from throwing the covers off of her bed and slipping into her flats that were thrown messily next to the bed. With the sound of her feet muffled, she quickly grabbed some bobby pins that were scattered in the covers to put her hair up.

Throwing her favorite hooded cloak over her flannel nightgown, she tiptoed out the room, carefully listening for any signs of stirring so she could jump back in her room and wait out the noise. The floor was so silent she could've heard a pin drop. Therefore, thinking she was alone, she pressed the elevator button next to David's room, praying he wasn't an extremely light sleeper.

The contraption made a noise as it hit her floor, but there were still no signs of anyone being awake, so she slipped into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. In the matter of a few moments, she had arrived at her destination and the doors opened and closed.

Trying not to attract the attention of the night-shift, she quickly made her way into the darkness outside the glass doors of the hotel.

**Sinister! That's what the movie was called.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I decided to try for a quick update to make up for the last one. If you can count this as quick… Just kidding, this is totally not quick. Oh well. This is Part 2 of the Perros graveyard scene. I hope you enjoy! **

David watched her slip out into the dark. Making sure that she couldn't see him following her, he made after the figure only just illuminated by the full moon. Where could the apparently, extremely anxious Marionette be going at this hour? Perhaps she was sleepwalking. _Yes, _David decided. _Surely that's what she's doing. I'll just have to make certain that no one sees her. She would be extremely embarrassed…_

Every so often, he was certain she had heard him, for she occasionally stopped and looked around, but luckily he had always won the games of hide-and-seek when they were children. Eventually, he found himself in front of the gates of her father's graveyard. _She must be sleepwalking. No girl with large anxieties would visit a graveyard in the dark._

Pulling a bobby pin from her hair, Marionette unlocked the gate. When it opened with a creak, she sat it back in her hair. _Can sleepwalking girls unlock gates with their hairpins…?_

The gate had closed and locked itself again before David could get through, but he could still see his dear old friend kneeling by her father's grave. He had come to the conclusion that she wasn't sleepwalking, but just mourning in an odd way. He was about to call to her in sympathy when she threw her arms up to the sky and a haunting version of the melody to "Adelaide's Lament" began to play on a violin.

David questioned his own sanity as he thought for a moment that Marionette's father was playing the violin from the dead, but he looked up eventually and saw figure standing atop the church.

He had been right all along. Someone was playing the young Azayl girl for a fool. And Marionette had always been superstitious. It wouldn't have been difficult to trick her into thinking her father was back from the grave. She had believed what she wanted to believe, but the jig was up.

Then Marionette began to walk towards the violin player, having seen him. David's worry grew. He called for Marionette loudly and frantically, but the louder he called, the louder the violin began to play. Soon, the girl had almost disappeared behind the church, but her figure was still visible.

The same person that had been on the roof appeared behind her and he set the violin down with one hand and wrapped an arm around her waist with another. Marionette immediately leaned back onto his shoulder. At this, David panicked and began to climb the gate, cutting himself multiple times in the process.

However, the man must have noticed him, for he slipped his free hand behind the girl's neck, and she slumped into his arms, unconscious.

David made his way over to the pair as quickly as he could, but the man who had been playing the violin was swift as well as musically talented. He set Marionette next to her father's grave, picked up the violin, and moved to the back of the church.

David's worry for Marionette was great, and he didn't want to just leave her, but what would happen if she fell under the clutches of the man again? So, he made turning the mysterious figure in to the police his first priority.

David entered through the back door of the church to see the man leave through the front. He made to follow him, but something stopped him. A skull rolled to his feet. And then more began to come, until he found it somewhat difficult to forge a pathway out. Eventually he did, though, and there were no more skulls for the stranger to bowl at him.

The man was hovering above Marionette's unconscious body, but as he bent down, David ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulders. The man turned around, and the sight to behold was horrific. A death's head peered at David through the hood. But before the young man could scream or do anything of that nature, the man gave David a brief whack on the head with his bony hand, drawing a small amount of blood, but it was enough to knock the boy out.

As he fell to the ground, clutching his head and watching the darkness close around him, the last thing David saw that night was Marionette being carried off by the stranger. He reached an arm out in a last attempt to save her, but the darkness swallowed him before he could do any more.

/

The secretary for the Vacation Inn was never exactly what anyone would call an observant woman. She hardly remembered any customer's names, she never really paid attention to the events taking place in the lobby, and whenever a customer would try to engage her in conversation, she would simply grunt in reply. But when a man in a hooded cloak walked in carrying an unconscious teenage girl that looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, she couldn't help but take notice. She almost ran when he approached the desk, but for once the curiosity was killing her.

"Do you know where Marionette Azayl's room is?" he asked in a silky, but foreboding voice.

She quickly turned to the computer and looked for the last name 'Azayl'. "I-is she staying with a David Serio?" she asked, surprised at her stutter. The hooded man nodded. "Alright, just take the elevator up three floors and keep walking straight until you find a room numbered 318. Do you need a key?"

"No, I have one," he said, taking a key out of his pocket.

"Very well, and, uh, should I be worried about what's going on in that room?"

The man chuckled, sending shivers down her spine. "There is no need. I'm simply her guardian. You see, she has odd ways of mourning, and I found her asleep in front of her father's grave. I didn't want anything to happen to her, so I brought her here. By the way, I don't know if this means anything to you, but there was another man in the graveyard. He might still be there."

With that, the man walked into the elevator, the doors closing behind him. Ten minutes later, he returned without the girl, and walked out of the building.

/

David awoke to three people standing over him. One was Marionette, but he didn't recognize the others. "Oh, I think he's waking up," whispered Marionette. The other two people leaned over him.

"Who…?" he muttered. Marionette raised an eyebrow, but then realized what he was talking about.

"David, these are the doctors. They're just here to make sure you're alright. We're fairly certain you don't have a concussion, but they just wanted to make sure. Uh, can you sit up?" He nodded and pushed himself up.

"Where is that man from last night?" David asked with a slight glare towards Marionette. She gave him an innocent, confused face.

"What man? David, I don't think you remember what happened exactly right. We were at the graveyard together when you fell down the stairs, so I went to get help."

The doctors nodded and took note of his 'amnesia' applying to the night before. "Just make sure he gets enough rest," said one of the doctors. Then the two of them (the doctors, that is) left the room. Marionette immediately turned on her old friend.

"David, you shouldn't have followed me to the graveyard last night. You don't know how much trouble you could have gotten yourself into. You don't know the trouble you almost got _me _into."

"Well, I was just trying to protect you! What else was I supposed to do when a terribly anxious girl gets up in the middle of the night and goes to a graveyard where she's meeting some man!"

"It wasn't a man, it was my Angel. And he promised that if I proved loyal to him and showed up at the graveyard at night, he would play "Adelaide's Lament" to me on the violin. And he did. But he was very angry to know you followed me."

"Did he hit you?!" asked David, jumping up to his knees and grabbing onto Marionette's shoulders.

"Of course not. He wasn't happy to know that you came, but my Angel would never hurt me," replied Marionette calmly, sitting him back down.

"Marionette, please don't see him again."

"I'm not a little girl anymore. Thank you for the concern, but I'll do what I think is right."

"Please listen to reason."

Marionette sighed and placed her hand on his cheek, leaning down. "Mary," David whispered. "I still love you." This caused her jump back, her emotions beginning to overwhelm her.

"I'm sorry, David. I really am sorry," she told him as she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

**HEY, YOU! YES, YOU, THE ONE READING THIS STORY! DON'T BOTHER FOLLOWING THIS STORY IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright, I'm going to try to update quickly, considering I left you guys for, like, a month. Here is chapter 8. It goes more along the lines of the novel, what with the Faust thing and all, but the aftermath is more like the ALW musical.**

_Three Months Later_

"Mary, I don't see what you're so worried about. You've performed in front of an audience before," David reassured his old friend.

"Yes, but I've just sang one song before. This is an entire opera. Besides, I'm going to be judged on my acting as well. It's not the same as before."

David smiled. "Nevertheless, you'll be the perfect Marguerite. By the way, have you reconsidered my dinner proposal?"

"I'm afraid not. My Angel has asked me to keep tonight open. Perhaps we could go out tomorrow after the performance."

David sighed, but nodded. "Very well- I wish you good luck," he told her as he kissed her hand and walked away.

/

Marionette opened the door to see Terry, the little ballerina, standing outside with a huge smile on her face. The smaller redhead invited herself inside the Prima Donna dressing room. "Oh, you were perfect tonight!" she squealed. Marionette gave a soft laugh.

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course I do. But I don't understand why you're hiding in here." Marionette opened her mouth to explain, but Terry cut her off with another question before she could respond. "And who is your tutor? You've never mentioned him before."

Marionette took a deep breath before she answered. She and Terry had been practically best friends for the past two months. She ought to know the truth. "Terry, just before my father died, he promised he would send the Angel of Music to me. And after all this time, I found him about three months ago."

Terry smiled serenely, not knowing exactly what 'Angel of Music' meant. "That's a cute nickname. What does he look like?"

"I don't know. I'm not allowed to see his face."

"Well, I'll leave you be now. I saw David talking to you backstage before the performance and I think I know what that means." She gave her a wink, as Marionette blushed red, and before anything else could be said, Terry left the room with a little skip.

"Did you make plans with that boy for tonight?" asked her Angel rather coldly.

"N-no, Angel," Marionette stammered. The closer she would get to David, the further her Angel tried to distance her from him. It was like he didn't trust her, and that hurt. He was getting stricter and colder, and some of her anxieties had been reappearing around him. "We were just making plans for tomorrow night."

"Well, if you want to go with him tonight, nothing's stopping you," he told her gruffly.

"Angel, I want to be with _you_ tonight," she pleaded. "You're who I have to thank for my great success." All was silent for a while, and Marionette began to worry that her Angel had left her. "Please, Angel," she begged one last time. "I don't know how I could go on without you."

"Very well," was the reply, and Marionette looked into her mirror to see her Angel in the mirror.

/

**I've decided to put an author's note in the middle of the story. I have three people following this story, and only two reviewing. If you are following this story, all I ask is that you review. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of the chapter.**

/

The boat hit the edge of the shore with a small thud, and her Angel helped her out. "Thank you for bringing me with you," she whispered to him. "I was afraid you would leave me."

She could almost sense her Angel was smiling behind the mask. "I would never do that, my dear, and I'm sorry for having frightened you." She smiled at his words and let him lead her over to the piano.

"Angel, would you sing for me?" He looked up at her without responding, and she immediately dropped her head, thinking she had offended him by asking him of so large of a favor. "Forgive me, I shouldn't have asked. It's just that you've taught me to sing so well, I figured you would be a good singer and all…" she trailed off. "It's fine. That was a stupid question."

"Don't worry, my dear. You've done so well. I will oblige you." Her face lit up as he took a deep breath and began to sing. "_But this wine that's all too strange and strong. I'm full of foolish song, and out my song must pour._"

Marionette almost gasped. She had heard his voice once or twice before, but never like this. It was such a heavenly sound, that she closed her eyes and swayed on her feet a bit before her Angel caught her from falling over while he continued to sing.

She could have been his puppet while he was singing, but she noticed through her trance-like state that he wasn't taking advantage of her. _Of course he isn't- he's an Angel, and he doesn't think of you like that, _she told herself in her rather hazy thoughts.

But the song was ending, and all too soon for her liking. And while he reached the ending line, he led her over to a section in the room covered by a tarp. "_I've really never been in love before,_" were the last lines he sung before he threw the cover off the tarp.

And before Marionette was a wedding dress and veil, all arranged on a nice hanger in front of a broken mirror, so it looked as if her reflection wearing the dress. And it looked to be about her size. Even through her almost hypnotic state, she could make out that her Angel certainly _did _think of her like that.

The two of them stood on the silence as Marionette kept looking between the dress and her Angel. This was all so confusing. She began to almost hyperventilate, and she turned to look at her Angel one last time before her world unexpectedly went black.

**Yup, next scene is the unmasking. REVIEW IF YOU WANT THE UNMASKING!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys. Sorry if the beginning of this chapter seems weird. I had most of it written out and everything, but my mom decided to come in and delete it. So yeah. And I'm going to try to make this chapter longer because I just realized that last chapter was my shortest one yet. Enjoy the unmasking scene!**

**Phantomphan76- Yeah, don't take it personally that I deleted your review, but I felt you got me wrong. I apologize for that. I just want to know what people think of my story **_**so badly**_**. Do I need to make any corrections, etc.? It doesn't have to be just mindless praise (though that's always good, too, lol). Also, your review was **_**kind of **_**considered (by me, anyway) spam, because you only mentioned my author's note and another review left on here. **

**So we got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over again? I'm willing to forgive and forget. I know you'd have to be really nice to, but can **_**you **_**forgive **_**me **_**as well?**

**Okay, that was a long author's note. Sorry about that.**

"_What does he look like?"_

"_I don't know."_

These were the words that snapped Marionette out of her peaceful sleep. She had dreamt that she lived in a world where she and David could be married while her Angel still stayed in touch with her and taught her to sing. And Terry would often visit along with her Angel and everyone got along perfectly. And soon she had beautiful children whom she would take to see all her performances along with their father (David) and godparents (Terry and her Angel).

But one day her Angel was playing the piano for her when Terry stood by the doorway and called over to Marionette, "What does he look like?"

And Marionette didn't know.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to pretend that last night never happened. She was in her room after her Angel had sung to her, she was going to dinner with David that night, and there was no wedding dress. But that was an impossible notion, for she opened her eye a crack and saw the dress exactly where it had been the last night.

The piano started to play a song she didn't recognize. She knew it was her Angel and that she would have some explaining to do, so she pushed herself up slowly and shuffled over to where he was playing. She hoped he would notice her and stop so she could apologize, but he seemed not to notice her.

So Marionette just stayed and listened, deciding to wait until he was done playing. Terry's question was bothering her, though. What _did _he look like? And if he wanted to marry her, why couldn't she see his face? The curiosity was beginning to bother her. Perhaps she should pull of the mask. Yes, he would be angry, but they would at least be on even ground and they could discuss the marriage proposal properly.

She reached out for it a few times, and he almost caught her, so she decided that since he was looking down at the keys, she should reach above his head and he would not realize what was happening until the last second. And she did just that, reaching above his head to touch the top of his mask and snatch it off.

She proceeded to gasp as she held it in her handed. She had just invaded her Angel's privacy! What a naughty thing to do! Her Angel stood to confront her, but didn't turn around. "I'm so sorry!" she cried. That was when he turned around.

"Sorry for what?! That you had to see this?!" he screamed. Marionette bit her tongue to hold back her scream, for a horrible death's head with slimy skin, slits for a nose, and black, sunken eyes stared down at her. _No, you have to be strong. Don't show your fear._

"No, I'm sorry I invaded your privacy! I don't know what came over me!" she said between sobs, trying not to look directly at him, for fear that she might reveal just how frightening she found him.

"Oh, that's what they all say! But I know that you're disgusted by this face I've been condemned with! I can see it in your eyes!"

Marionette found herself short of breath, trying to think of something to say. "Look at you!" he responded to the silence. "You can't even think of anything to say, can you?! Perhaps you think this skin is not real?!" he asked with a demented laugh. She shook her head, but he wouldn't listen, knocking the mask out of her hands and grabbing both her arms by the wrists. "Well, it's not! This is what I really look like! It's all real!"

And he let go of her left wrist, but kept a fierce grip on right one, squeezing tighter and tighter the more she tried to break free, until it finally broke with an audible snap. Marionette could no longer hold back her scream of pure terror and pain. Upon hearing it, her Angel immediately let her go and backed away. Marionette fell to the floor, gingerly holding her broken wrist.

She looked up as her Angel fell to the floor in front of her. "Oh, what have I done? Forgive me, oh please forgive or I will never be able to live with myself."

Marionette choked back a sob at his pitiful tone, but firmly stood her ground. She wouldn't be swayed with a simple apology. "Angel, why did you hurt me?"

"Because I'm not an Angel," he moaned. "I am Erik."

Marionette couldn't contain her tears any longer. Oh, David had been right. She had been played for a fool. Her Angel- no, _Erik_- reached out to wipe away one of her tears, but she flinched away. "Please don't cry," he whispered soothingly, and Marionette felt herself relax. "Helen…"

This caused her to jump out of her state of relaxation. She turned on him bitterly. "That's the second time you've called me that!" she yelled, getting to her feet. "Who is she?!"

Erik followed suit, standing and yelling. "You! You are her, and she is you!"

"I don't know what you're saying, but I'm leaving, and don't try to stop me!"

/

It could have been any number of hours before Marionette found the exit to her mirror. She quickly opened it with her good hand and stepped back inside her dressing room. She didn't bother getting dressed out of her night-clothes before running to the managers' office.

"Ah, it's lovely to see you, Miss Azayl. We were just thinking about holding a dress rehearsal before the performance tonight to make sure everyone is brushed up on the material," said Mr. Raide.

Marionette walked over to him, eyes on the floor the entire time. "Do you think it's possible to call a doctor first?" she asked, holding her right wrist out.

"Oh, o-of course we can do that," muttered Mr. Deagia, pulling out a phone.

"Who did this?" squeaked Mr. Raide, at a loss of words for once.

"I think you know who," replied Marionette, looking at him through cold, emotionless eyes.

**The Apollo's Lyre scene comes next! Review if you want it…**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey you guys! I'm updating again! I'm on a roll! Sort of… Well, not really. Yeah, it's been too long. Sorry.**

**Phantomphan76- I appreciate the re-review. I wasn't online to approve it. Calm down.**

The doctor finished wrapping the brace around her broken wrist as David watched her solemnly in the corner. She knew she would have some explaining to do, but she was just glad that she was safe and outside of the Opera Palace. "Come back in three weeks and we'll see how your wrist is doing," the doctor told her. She nodded in consent and wordlessly followed David outside.

"Well?" he asked as he walked her back to the palace.

"You were right," Marionette sniffled as he walked her back. David stopped in his tracks.

"Right about what?" She could hear the suspicious tone in his voice. Being right about things _was _generally his area. For Marionette, it was more the fact that she was too trusting than too stupid that made her wrong most of the time. But he was toying with her this time. He knew exactly what he was right about. He just wanted to hear her say it.

"He's not an angel," she choked out. Her tone was so pathetic that David took pity on her, despite the fact that he had warned her about the very same thing many times. He held her shoulders tightly as she cried into his chest. "He did this to me," she said between gasps and sobs. "I should have listened to you!"

_Yes, you should have, but since you're distraught, I won't say anything._

"Alright, so we'll just keep him away from you, and if he tries to come after you, we'll just tell the police."

Marionette shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. David…" she trailed off as she looked him in the eye. He was so close right then, and he hadn't held it against her when she was too naïve to see the truth. He really knew, because she hadn't changed since she was a child. And for once she didn't resist the urge to kiss him.

David knew it was going to happen as soon as their eyes met, he still felt surprised and rather unprepared when their lips met. Usually, he would have leapt for joy, but he felt it was different. He pushed her off of him as she gave him a confused look. "David," she whispered, embarrassed, "I thought you—."

"You thought I loved you?" he finished her question. "I do, but you're not emotionally stable right now. We'll talk about it over dinner tonight." She nodded, still red in the cheeks. And although his mind slapped him for what he had done, he still felt better that she could trust him.

/

David bumped into her in the hallway. "Well, you're ready early," he joked with a slight smile. She gave a faint smile back.

"I know. I needed to talk to Mr. Deagia sometime today, and I figured it was best to ask before we go. I'll see you in ten minutes or so?" He nodded and walked off as she headed to the managers' office.

Marionette flung the door open and walked inside the office without an invitation. She had just about enough of their secrets. The two stared at her as crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Who is Helen?" she asked.

Their eyes widened. "I don't know what you're talking about." Raide tried to dismiss her in a shaky voice.

"You're terrible at lying, Mr. Raide," she told him bluntly before turning to Deagia. "Perhaps you would like to explain." The managers looked at each other before Deagia sighed and sat down.

"You'll probably need to sit, too, Miss Azayl," he told her, gesturing to another chair across from him.

/

_ABOUT 17 YEARS PRIOR_

"Erik, I really _do _need to leave. I'll be late, and that won't please the audience too much. Then there will be nothing to celebrate about," she told him.

He tried to tune her words out, still playing with the locks of short blonde hair she possessed. "I know, but surely you can miss just one performance for me. I have something terribly important to ask you." She smiled. She had always been a sucker for his incredible voice.

"Can it wait until after the performance?" she tried to reason. He hesitated, which caused her to break into an even larger smile. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Don't worry, I'll be right here after the performance," she assured him as she left the dressing room.

He sighed, but the question would have to wait, though the longer he waited, the more anxious he became about it. The lovely ring seemed to burn in his pocket, waiting to be put onto his beloved's finger. He was about to head back so he could hear her lovely voice, but something stopped him.

A loud gunshot rang out from in the hallway. He quickly bolted out of the room, where he saw her in a pool of blood. Someone else had already beaten him to chasing the killer, but when he tried to join them, he felt someone tug at his ankle. It was her. Bewildered at how she had remained alive that long, he dropped to his knees.

"Erik," she managed to choke out through her pain, "I just wanted you to know that… I love you." She gasped in pain, clutching her stomach. It was obvious she wouldn't survive this.

So Erik did something he never thought he would do. He reached up to his mask and took it off. Even close to death, she was clearly horrified. He tried to touch her, to assure her that he wouldn't hurt her, but she flinched away as best as she could before the light left her eyes completely.

No matter how ugly she viewed him, he still let a cry of anguish escape his lips. "HELEN!"

/

Deagia finished his story all about who she was, but said he didn't know a thing about her personal life. "Then why does he keep calling me her name?" Marionette wondered aloud.

"Well," Raide cut in, "she had the tendency to visit her dressing room quite often, just as you do. Perhaps…" he trailed off. A look of realization crossed Marionette's face.

"And he thinks I'm her," she muttered. Deagia nodded.

"To be truthful, the two of you sound remarkably alike," Raide informed her. There was a silence for a while before Marionette piped up again.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Perhaps he'll leave you alone?" suggested Deagia, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than her.

"Perhaps…" Marionette half-heartedly agreed. There was another long pause before anyone spoke again. "Thank you for your time, both of you. If you'll excuse me, I have a dinner to attend."

**And that was the Apollo's Lyre Part One! Tune in next time for the Apollo's Lyre Part 2! And I apologize for taking so long to update. It's kind of hard with school and everything.**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


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